mcwalker

I have never been a regular newspaper reader (though I read articles online for free) and Thanksgiving is the only day of the year that I buy a newspaper for the ads, so I understand if they charge a bit more that day than a regular Thursday. Despite the fact that I don't subscribe, I think that newspapers still provide a critical service to society and democracy, so I think of the extra cost as a small contribution to a valuable but struggling business. More to the point though, while I print and carry my personal Shopping List created on GottaDeal to direct me, I also still like to have the printed ads for Black Friday. I generally walk into each store with my printed list and the ad for that store.

This is not a gratuitous post. OK, well, maybe it is. Just having fun posting on the site.

Sometimes my nephew. Last year my sister came for part of the time, then I went back out alone. This year, I expect to be alone, as I have been some other years.

I was in the market for new tires last year and checked the Black Friday ads. I had decided on a particular brand (Continental) both because they matched the standard equipment on my car and were one of the two highest rated by Consumer Reports. While Conti's are not usually part of the common discounts, it happened that Sears did offer a gift card back with purchase right around Black Friday weekend, so I bought them online and had them installed when they arrived at a local Sears Auto center. That said, I found the general deals on tires, from Pep Boys, and some others were very similar to deals that are offered often throughout the year, such as buy 3 get one free. The deals were not much better on Black Friday (and the tires that get these discounts are often not the best rated brands). Pay close attention not only to the cost of the tires and incentives, but also to any installation charges and charges for things like balancing, which may be required buy some stores but not others. OH...and welcome to GottaDeal.com!

Yingle Bells. 1949 parody by Yogi Yorgesson (stage name of Harry Stewart)

They have reported that they did fix the problem. I also have had two cards changed by Chase as a result. I would't let it get in the way of shopping there as most credit cards are protected from unauthorized charges anyway. However, I do not have or use debit cards for any purpose as they are not as protected as credit cards and, unlike credit cards, they tap directly into your bank account.

I always pick up some freebies at CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid for stocking-stuffers. I try now to do that Thanksgiving morning when I can so that it doesn't interfere with Thanksgiving celebration or other Black Friday shopping.

You Make it Feel Like Christmas (Neil Diamond 1984)

I have a couple of the JC Penney snow globes that I got even though I wasn't in the store early at all, but I started doing Black Friday too late to get any of the early freebies.

A key part of my game plan is the personalized My Shopping List feature on GottaDeal. (It is "hidden" under the "FEATURES" header on the Black Friday page now.) http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/ShoppingList I initially add extra items that I am considering, then narrow down the list as I see all the ads and investigate some items. I print it out and take it with me to the stores, along with the ad for each store from the newspaper.

2006 was my first year, just after I joined GottaDeal to find out all about BF, so this will be my 9th year.

My plans vary from year to year, in part because I have often been in different places for Thanksgiving/Black Friday and now because of the shift to store openings on Thanksgiving Day (which I hate). This year, I will be staying in the small town of Granbury, Texas, visiting family on a farm between there and Weatherford. As my family (parents) are against shopping on Thanksgiving Day, I will not do any shopping or waiting in lines on Thanksgiving from mid morning to late evening. I will do online shopping in the evenings from my hotel room until Wednesday night. Early Thanksgiving morning I plan to visit a Walgreens and CVS near my hotel before heading to the farm where we will gather for Thanksgiving. In the evening whenever most family heads to our hotel, I will head out. I did Black Friday in Weatherford a few years ago and did OK, there, but Granbury where we will be staying has fewer stores, so I expect that I will drive 30 miles from our hotel to the Hulen Mall area of Fort Worth to do some night shopping. By mid-day Black Friday we will start driving home to New York and will be in Little Rock by that night, so I have to find some time to sleep, too.

Note: missing item on the list of dates when ads were posted: In 2013 the Macy's ad was posted on Nov. 21.

I have been holding off on signing up for a free trial of Prime, so maybe this will be the time to try it. (So I am glad they don't limit it to paying customers.)

Update: This deal has ended, but watch Rite Aid circulars for similar offers. At Rite Aid through this Saturday 10/18, get $5 Up Reward for each $25 Best Buy gift card that you purchase, limit two offers per "household" (i.e, per Wellness+ card). If you expect to buy anything at Best Buy on Black Friday, get these now to save an extra $5 or $10 after Up Rewards. Or just give the cards as gifts! (Also applies to Sears and Bass Pro Shops gift cards.)

1.Wow, a line! That's where I want to spend my Thanksgiving Day! 2. Let's do the do-see-do right into the Best Buy. 3. Oh my head--up all night and I'm still not done with the doorbusters!

My daughter will be 14 soon. I agree that it gets a bit harder as they outgrow simple toys, and tend to have more specific (and often more costly) likes. Sorry, can't offer you any specific advice, though I think that it never hurts to ask them to suggest multiple things they are interested in and if you ask now, some time will pass between the discussion

Brad, Don't say I didn't warn you. (I mean't amazon gift cards, not t-shits.) (and I won!)

I have waited in line 2-3 hours and still got much of what I was looking for even among some of the hot doorbusters, but have never camped out and I am sure I never will. I think that the justification for camping out is diminishing due to the nature of the deals now and the similarity of deals available online.

I am not generally in favor of weekly "blue" laws, but I would like to see state or federal laws prohibiting most sales just for Thanksgiving Day (midnight to midnight). I will be visiting family (my parents) in Texas this year, who are strongly anti-shopping on Thanksgiving, so I will not be going out until sometime in the LATE evening after we would normally leave to go back to our hotel. Last time I visited for Thanksgiving, BF still started early Friday morning. I will be online Wednesday night looking for online deals, which will be good for me anyway since I don't have to carry them in the car all the way back from Texas to New York City.

Target, Sears, Best Buy, and Walmart (and Kohls, JC Penney)

At this point, I think that Brad might be hoping that the first store will not be one of the "usual suspects" as he will have a lot of t-shirts to give out if it is.

Absolutely. In fact, a good portion of what I buy on Black Friday is for myself or items to be used/shared by the household.

I occasionally pick up some stocking stuffers either during sales at Rite Aid/CVS/Walgreens or loca items when traveling throughout the year, but I don'r really start Christmas shopping until just before Black Friday. Still, I don't find most of the gifts on Black Friday and much of what I buy on Black Friday and surrounding days is for myself or household use.

Harbor Freight on October 14.